Unrequited
by Jessie4
Summary: *Kenato* When a Digidestined lets his heart soar, how far does he have to fall? *Updated 7/21/01 with chapter two*
1. Unrequited

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. I use licensed characters in ways they probably weren't intended to be used. Feel free to sue, but you're not getting my Patamon plushies! ^^; 

**Author's Notes**: What you are about to read is a Kenato, with TaKen elements. If either of those couplings offend you, then stop here and read a Taito instead. ^.~; Reading a Taito always makes everything better. As of the initial posting, it's a standalone story, although I'm sure I could continue it if people actually like this (Gasp of gasps~ ^_^;;). Honestly, if you're looking for a good Kenato, I recommend AimeeKae's "Flutter". She's great. ^_^ 

**Rated PG For a Reason**: This story involves homosexuality, homophobia, nonconsentual.. *cough* relations, and underage shounen-ai. If you're offended by any of this... Erm.. Maybe you -shouldn't- go read a Taito.. ^^; 

Unrequited  
~A Kenato by Jessie

"GARURUMON!!!!" 

The shout was loud enough to be heard over the ruckus of battle as the young blonde dashed towards his fallen comrade. Golden locks of hair flopped over his left eye as he knelt by the fallen wolf. Compassion shimmered in icy blue eyes that scanned for anything more than superficial wounds. The boy's arms wrapped around a furry body, nuzzling the beast and whispering calming words into its ear. 

Combat continued. Shots were fired. A villain was defeated. There was much rejoicing. Wounds were assessed, and the group of children began home, giggling and chatting about the day's events. One hung back from all this, however. His eyes remained fixed on one member in particular. 

"He's beautiful..." 

  
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Ken Ichijouji bit down on his lower lip, more than a bit nervous. He glanced towards his backpack, where Minomon subtly struggled, motions slow and deliberate, as though he thought moving at a slothlike speed wouldn't alert anyone's attention to the noticeably shifting lump in the bag. Ken grinned despite himself, taking a small detour into a darkened alley. After a short glance around to make certain no eyes were upon him, he unzipped his bag and allowed Minomon to come out for a breath of fresh air. The in-training Digimon leaped out, giggling cheerfully. 

"Thanks a million, Ken!" He exclaimed in that adorably childlike voice which always made the Keeper of Kindness smile. "It was really stuffy in there... I wish I could travel with you without hiding like that!" Ken nodded. 

"I'm sorry about this, Minomon... I mean, I would have left you at home while I ran this errand, but I want someone around. You know, moral support." Minomon's eyes widened at that. 

"Support? I don't know what kind of support moral is... Should I digivolve to Wormmon so I'm better prepared?" 

Ken only barely suppressed a chuckle at Minomon's efforts to be by his side eternally. Even when the little Digimon hadn't the faintest idea of what the subject was about, he was prepared to give his all to make his partner happy. Even when Ken was the Kaiser, his partner stood by his side with a loyalty unmatched by any others Ken had encountered before. If he had nothing, he at least had his Digimon. He patted Minomon's head obligingly, before holding out his bag again. 

"Now, come on... If we don't get to Takeru's soon, they'll start dinner without us!" 

"No food?" Minomon dived back into the backpack frantically. "Hurry, Ken!" 

  
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"Pass the salt, Ken?" 

Ken could have killed Takeru at that very moment. It had taken him a week to get his mind off of the dazzling blonde he'd caught a mere glimpse of in the Digiworld, and now he found himself seated at the same dinner table as him. He was still as gorgeous as Ken recalled, with honey-blonde tresses styled just so, and a demeanor which was aloof, and yet fragile. From his breathtaking eyes to the darling way in which he stuffed his face, he was perfect. 

"Etouuu... Ken?" 

And he still needed his salt. Ken blushed lightly and passed over the condiment desired by the object of his affections. 

"So, Ken..." Yamato smoothly began to make polite conversation. "What do you do with your free time these days? You know, now that you're not plotting to take over the Digiworld anymore?" Ken flushed heavily at the bluntness of the question, eyes wide. Takeru chuckled lightly as he passed a large chunk or rice to the pair of Digimon patiently waiting underneath the table. 

"Real smooth, 'Niichan." Takeru grinned. Yamato responded with a sly smile. 

"What? It was a simple question..." Ken suppressed the urge to crawl into a hole and die of the embarrassment of being put on the spot like that. If only Yamato didn't seem so sure of himself, so playful, so very wonderful... Ken shifted in his seat uncomfortably, staring down into his food to avoid eye contact. 

"I.. Erm.. I play soccer more... And, being Digidestined takes up a lot of free time as well... Of course, you'd know about that, wouldn't you?" 

Yamato smiled, as though Ken's answer was acceptable enough for him. He then took a final swallow of his drink, and rose from the table. He gave Ken a beckoning motion with his hands, and Takeru took the hint to begin clearing the table. Ken gulped, his eyes wide. -The- Yamato wanted to have a word in private... He could hardly believe his fortune... What could he possibly have to say that required privacy? 

Perhaps Yamato had developed a similar crush, Ken mused between the flutters of his heart. Maybe his manners and shy glances had proven to be Yamato's type. Maybe... 

There was no time for maybes as Yamato pulled him into Takeru's bedroom. Takeru's Bedroom? Ken felt another blush creep onto his cheeks. Yamato sat on the bed... Ken settled down beside him... This was so very sudden... His mind slipped into a joyous fantasy, drowning out what it was Yamato was telling him. The older boy's voice had slipped into a low, stealthy whisper, as though he was confessing a secret. Ken only heard some of the conversation, slipping deep into a fantasy world where he and Yamato spent an eternity in blissful togetherness. 

"... Too shy to admit emotions.. I guess it runs in the ol' genes. It can be a little intimidating, telling someone you've got a crush on them..." Yamato continued covertly as Ken's heart soared. He drew his face closer, inhaling Yamato's scent. He smelled of baby powder, how delightful... Those baby blue eyes, so warm... So captivating... So inviting... 

Ken shut his eyes, gently pressing his lips against Yamato's, silencing him thusly. His tongue pressed forward, invading the elder boy's mouth with a gentle passion. Slowly, he pulled away, more than a bit curious as to the lack of response from the former Keeper of Friendship. His eyes opened to a sight that shattered his heart in twain. 

Yamato stood, taking several paces back, eyes wide. He stared at Ken for a long while before speaking. 

"Why on Earth did you just do that...?" Ken faltered. 

"I... I thought..." Ken suddenly found it difficult to catch his breath. "You... And I... And..." It was as though someone had just placed a heavy weight on his chest. "And... And... Oh God..." It was a terrible mistake. A horrible mistake. What had he done? 

"Didn't you hear a word I just said...?" Yamato could only stare, pale and aghast. 

"I.. I thought you were telling me you... liked..." Ken allowed himself to trail off, realizing how he would only dig himself deeper if he completed that sentence. He shrank back as a fire ignited in Yamato's eyes. 

"You... Thought... What..?!" The older Digidestined clenched his hands into tight fists, visibly appalled by the idea. "Look, Kid... Just because you look like a girl does NOT give you the right to.. To... UGH! WHY does everyone think I'm gay?!" He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Ken stared at his hands, willing himself to not allow the tears building in his eyes to fall. 

"...A girl..? I'm not..." He whispered with a quivering voice. There was a soft knocking at the door, and Takeru's head peeked in slowly. 

"Ken..? Is everything okay? 'Niichan looked like things didn't go too well... Are you very upset with me?" Ken didn't answer. He merely wiped his eyes, stood, and calmly exited Takeru's bedroom. The Keeper of Hope watched him with brows furrowed in worry. 

"I didn't think you'd be that repulsed by me, Ken..." He whispered. 

If one had listened carefully that day, they might have heard the faint crashing noise of two hearts shattering beyond repair. 

  
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"I'm a girl, am I?" Ken snarled as he typed viciously on his computer. "He doesn't swing that way, eh?" The keys rattled under the heavy rapping as the boy released his pent-up frustrations on the program he was composing. Minomon crept to Ken's side, whimpering in concern. 

"Ken? Are you okay? What happened after dinner? You haven't said a word to me the whole way home... Ken? ... Ken, come on, talk to me... At least get to bed with me.. It's getting really late! .... Ken?" Minomon floated up into the bed, hoping to lead by example. Ken looked up from the computer for the first time all evening. 

"Pets don't belong on beds, Minomon." 

Minomon gaped at Ken for a long while. He hadn't been called "pet" since Ken's Kaiser days. He slumped back down to the floor, only barely suppressing the urge to sob. 

"It's finished!!!" Ken announced gleefully. Minomon's eyes raised, but he didn't dare ask what it was that was finished. Ken smiled broadly and lifted his Digimon off the floor. 

"No time to sleep now, Minomon... We've got to get to the Digiworld to prepare!" 

  
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Ken brushed himself off, shouting for Wormmon to follow as he began walking briskly. 

Wormmon slinked behind in a struggle to keep pace with the boy. He frowned, noting that, upon entering the Digiworld, Ken had appeared in his old Kaiser costume. What disturbed him further, however, was that the boy didn't seem to mind in the least. 

  
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"So now, what's so wrong that we had to come back here? I don't see any bad Digimon around! I don't see any wounded little fellas asking for help! What was so darned important that it couldn't wait until daylight?!" Daisuke seemed less than pleased about being dragged into the Digital World at three in the morning for an emergency that was less-than-immediate. 

"Gabumon wanted us here, we're here." Came the stone-cold reply from Yamato. His eyes ruthlessly scoured the surrounding forest for his companion. 

"Well, then how come Ken didn't have to come? Why's he get to sleep? He ain't special or nothing!" Daisuke crossed his arms grumpily. Takeru's eyes shifted downward. 

"He.. He just probably isn't feeling too up to it tonight, is all... I'm sure he'll show up when it counts... He wouldn't let us down, right?" 

"Takeru's right!" Miyako chirped, giving the saddened blonde a hefty smack on the back. "Ken'll be all mysterious and absent, and then, soon as we get in trouble, him and Stingmon'll show up and--" 

"Stingmon and he." Iori corrected. 

"Stingmon and he..." Miyako continued, passing Iori a glare. "...will come along, and help us out like always!" Her grin returned to punctuate her optimism. Daisuke gave a grumble. 

"So, where is Gabumon, anyway?? I wanna get back to bed already!" 

As if on cue, the wolf Digimon poked his head out from a bush. His soft, serene voice called out a greeting to Yamato. The lupine's partner was at his side in a moment, ruffling his fur and exclaiming joyfully. 

"Gabumon, you're okay!! From your message, I wasn't sure what had happened - you seemed so panicked!" Gabumon nodded calmly. 

"Yamato, I need you to come with me. Just you." 

"Waitasec... Just me...?" Yamato blinked, confused. 

"You're the only one needed for this." Gabumon confirmed in a tone which made Yamato squirm with unease. 

"Gabumon... Are you feeling all right?" Yamato ran a hand through his partner's fur cautiously. He froze when his fingers met with cold steel. Gabumon growled as Yamato's eyes widened. 

"...A dark ring...?" 

The phrase was barely out of his mouth before he was swept up into Garurumon's powerful jaws. In an instant, the unprepared Digidestined found himself being carried off at an alarming speed, too aghast to do more than stutter in confusion. 

  
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"How long do you think they'll be?" Hikari asked, not quite stifling a yawn. 

"Too long..." Miyako responded, glancing at her watch. "But, at least someone's getting some use out of this.." She gestured to Daisuke, who had snuggled up against a rock with Veemon and proceeded to fall asleep. 

  
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Yamato glared darkly as he struggled against the twin black rings keeping his hands bound behind his back. His cheeks flushed a deep red at the embarrassing green sundress he'd been forced into, not to mention the humiliating pink bow now adorning his hair. He'd _die_ if anyone saw him like this. He would simply have to fall down and die. 

"You've got a LOT of explaining to do, Ichijouji!" He snarled contemptuously. He was greeted with the blank gaze of eyes hidden behind sunglasses. The Digimon Kaiser stepped towards him, smirk never leaving his face. Stingmon followed, moving as though he regretted every step he took behind Ken. The Kaiser reached Yamato, and simply grinned. 

"Now, Yamato..." He crooned into the elder boy's ear. "Just _who_ is it that looks like a girl, hmm?" The Kaiser grasped the taller boy by the shoulders and roughly ran his tongue in sensual circles around the blonde's neck. Yamato squirmed distastefully, struggling against the younger boy's superior strength. 

"S.. Stop that!" The holder of Friendship demanded, attempting to not allow his voice to display any of the helpless terror welling up within him. "I already told you - I'm NOT like that!!" 

"Shut UP, Yama**ko**..." Ken shoved Yamato down beneath him, tearing at the blonde's dress. "I'm only going to hurt you as much as you hurt me... Unless it's more fun to hurt you more, that is... STINGMON!!!!" 

"Please, Ken..." Stingmon pleaded. "Don't do this... It's not like you anymore.. Don't go back to evi--" 

"DON'T CALL ME KEN!" 

"......... yes, Master." Stingmon bowed his head. "But... Must I...? 

"I COMMANDED it, didn't I?!" Ken tightened his grip on the boy below him, causing Yamato to cry out in pain. Stingmon kneeled next to Yamato, carrying what appeared to be a large Dark Ring in his hands. 

"Yamato... I'm sorry..." He whispered, shifting the ring in his hands apprehensively. He lowered his voice to a level Ken couldn't hear at. "Just hold on as long as you can... I'll find a way to fix this... Somehow..." The Kaiser glared, silently demanding to know the reason for Stingmon's delay. The Insect Digimon whispered a final apology as he slipped the ring around Yamato's neck. Yamato shrieked for a moment afterward, causing Stingmon to excuse himself and flee from the room momentarily. Ken merely smiled. 

Kneeling atop Yamato's prone form, the Kaiser nuzzled his face into the other's neck. His tongue again began to explore the span of Yamato's neck, sinking down into his chest. Spirals and hearts were drawn as Ken reveled in the other's taste. The Kaiser paused as Yamato stirred. 

"Yes, Yamato..." The Kaiser grinned in excitement. "It took me so long to discover a way to control Humans in the Digital World... So different from controlling Digimon... But, for you... To make you feel the pain I felt... To give you just a sliver of the humiliation... It was worth every drop of sweat." 

While he was speaking, Yamato's eyes had fluttered open. The elder boy's arms reached up to grasp Ken, pulling him down into a long, passion-filled kiss. Their tongues combated with each other furiously as they grasped for each other. Ken broke away first, grinning as wildly as ever. 

"It's nice to see you know who you belong to now, Yamato.." The Kaiser chuckled as he ran a finger along the thin black collar around Yamato's slender neck. The boy beneath him responded with a short nod. 

"Yes, Master... I understand completely. I'm yours now... For all eternity." Yamato ended his statement by pulling Ken back down for another kiss. 


	2. Open Wounds

"Unrequited"

**Disclaimer:** I'm not at all witty at the moment, it seems.. ^^;;; Insert a cute disclaimer here.. Like there's any chance you'd think I own Digimon anyway. ^.~ 

**Author's Notes:** This 'fic contains guy-on-guy action, implied S&M, and other assorted nastiness. What you are about to read is a Kenato, with TaKen elements. If either of those couplings offend you, then I don't know why you're still reading this after what went down in chapter one.. ^^; 

**Thanks:** To [Libek][1], whose review inspired me to not take the "easy" way out and be cliché about the ending. S/he really made me stop and map out just what I wanted to do with this 'fic, and kept it from being demeaning to the point of the first one. You really kept me from falling into a rut there, hun. Thanks, and I hope I didn't let you down with this one. ^_^   
To Le-ko, who encouraged me to continue, and helped me through a few of the rough patches I went through during the lengthy stretch of time it took to write this… Yer the best, hunnie!   
Additional thanks to Cloud Ishida, Dani, "Miss Kaizer if ya Nasty", and the rest of the Kenato mailing list. Their warm reception to a somewhat uncommon pairing really made writing this a joy. 

Unrequited Part Two: Open Wounds  
~A Kenato by Jessie

The morning sun peeked out through the leafy forests of the Digital World. The sky, reddish-purple in daybreak, shone with an unparalleled peace over the Digiworld's denizens. 

The night's shadow slipped away from Takeru Takaishi's face first, sunlight burning into his eyes and stealing away the security of repose. The boy's face fell away from his slumbering ease as he stirred gently. He opened one of his dark blue eyes, promptly yawned, and ran his hand down Patamon gently. He took a quick glance at his surroundings, noting he didn't wake in his bed. 

"The Digital World…?" His voice remained soft, whispered with care not to disturb any of his sleeping comrades. "That's right, we never went home last night…" His eyes shifted towards his D-3, which was blinking rapidly. Hefting the small device into his hands, he scanned for the source. 

"Email from Ken…" He whispered aloud, eyes widening. "Got in late. Took care of Yamato. Didn't want to wake you guys, so we went back. Don't worry." He sighed, returning the device to its place within his backpack. 

"Ken didn't even stop by to see me.. I just wish I knew what happened after 'Niichan told him…" Another sigh passed through his lips as he began to wake the others and make sure they could be ready for school in time. 

  
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The sickly sound of leather meeting flesh reverberated through the dark, empty halls of the Digimon Kaiser's fortress. The Emperor raised his whip repeatedly, grinning darkly as a series of gashes and scars began to open on his pet's alabaster skin. He paused abruptly, not intending to kill the boy just yet. His pet, his Yamako fluttered perfect eyelashes, baby blue irises following his Emperor. 

"Please, Master…" The pleading voice implored, "I need more…" His voice quivered with desire and longing as the dark ring adorning his neck glinted in the dim light. Ken chuckled lightly, stepping down from his throne and kneeling beside his pet. 

"You'll have to earn your treats, Yama-pet…" His gloved fingers ran down Yamato's bare chest suggestively. The slave winced as the Kaiser's fingers brushed against a series of newly opened scars. He peeked out from under tousled blonde locks of hair, a subtle smile on his otherwise emotionless features. 

"As you desire, Master…" The slave's tongue made contact with his Master's cheek, the latter boy giggling madly. 

  
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"HEEEEEEEYYYYY!!!!! TAKERUUUUU!!!!!!" 

Takeru winced at the sudden noise grating in his ears. The nearly empty school's halls didn't do much to buffer the echo when Taichi decided to get someone's attention. His sky blue eyes lifted to catch sight of the elder boy flailing down the hall and visibly embarrassing the redheaded girl beside him. She spoke in a soft voice, gently elbowing the brunette. 

"Taichi! We're in a school." She hissed, barely audible. Taichi responded by chuckling sheepishly, an action which made Takeru snicker. The blonde strode over to the pair obligingly. 

"Hi guys!" Takeru greeted them cheerily. "What brings you over to my neck of the woods, anyway? Don't you have sports to practice for or something?" 

"Well, yeah…" Taichi nodded. "But, like, we were kind of wondering about something.. See, Yamato didn't come in today, and he's not the type to skip classes without sending at least someone with an excuse. We figured you might know, since you're his brother and everything… Have you spoken to him, maybe? Is he sick or something?" 

Takeru frowned deeply when Taichi stopped talking long enough to take a breath before continuing to babble on further. That email had said things had gone smoothly last night, right? There couldn't be anything left to fret over…. 

The Digidestined of Hope then happened to glance downward, taking note of the blinking light on his D-3. He had mail from Yamato… 

  
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"I love you, Master! I love you, I love you, I love you!!!" 

The shrieks of ecstasy pounded into the ears of anyone close enough to hear the Kaiser and his pet. Stingmon growled, closing the door behind him in an attempt to muffle out the echoes of what he knew to be so very wrong. 

It was then that the Digimon lay his eyes upon the small Digivice that had been cast aside sometime during the Keeper of Friendship's abduction. Useless for most intents and purposes now, Yamato had kept it around for its mere sentimental value. Stingmon grasped the small item tentatively, uncertain if it was right for him to even be holding such a precious item. His large eyes narrowed in contemplation as he began to form a plan. 

He couldn't help Yamato as he was… But, if he left Ken's side for too long, he wouldn't be able to sustain his form as Stingmon… And there as no way a lone Wormmon would be able to survive in the Digital World for long… 

He stared down at the discarded Digivice he held, taking in the options it offered… There was a way to send email, apparently… Maybe he could send for help! 

Stingmon spent the next few hours attempting to figure out the mysteries of the Digivice. The mail would be perceived as from Yamato, but it could still be used to warn the others… Stingmon prayed he wasn't too late.. 

  
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"SECOND night in a row, TB!" The goggle-topped Digidestined grumbled, purposely mangling Takeru's nickname to illustrate how he was still bitter about having lost sleep the night before. "Dammit, this BETTER be good!" 

"You SURE there's even a problem here? I mean, things seemed totally under control last night…" Miyako muttered in disbelief as the Digidestined children stood at the bottom of Infinity Mountain. Takeru ignored the pair's whining, instead running his hands along the mountain's craggy base. 

"…A door." He concluded, digging his fingers into a crack in the mountainside, gritting his teeth and pushing. In response, there was a mechanical whir as the rock seemed to shift and fall away, opening up a cavern and revealing a rather well lit entrance. 

"Why do they always use this mountain?" Takeru mused, frowning as he took a step inside. "Ever since the beginning… Things happen here." He looked back to his companions, giving a nod of his head. "Let's get going." 

  
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Shielded violet eyes raised abruptly. 

"They've come." 

  
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The small group of Digidestined children took several uneventful steps through empty corridors, footsteps echoing off the abandoned halls. It was a long walk, extraordinarily long, and proved itself to be more than a bit unsettling. There were no complaints about turning back. That simply wasn't an option. Something about the gloom in the air gave a sense of urgency, a certain tension that silenced their voices before they could emerge from their throats. 

They walked. 

  
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"I think this is the last door…" Came the muffled tone of the Keeper of Hope. The Kaiser smiled simply, adjusting the weight of the pet settled in his lap. There was a loud creaking noise as the door to the throne room opened, five digidestined children entering, all wide-eyed and gasping. 

"Welcome, friends." The Kaiser grinned. He sat back in his throne languidly, seemingly proud of the enslaved Digidestined of Friendship kept in full view. The blonde was stretched across his Master's lap, staring at the other children with darkened eyes that held no hint of recognition. A thin chain ran from the smooth steel band on his neck, ending in the leash that his Master ran through his fingers in a possessive manner. His soft blonde hair fell into his dulled eyes lifelessly. He was clad in the smallest wisps of black leather and lace, seemingly a perverse shadow of femininity in a corset and thigh-high stockings. His lips pouted seductively, delicate fingers trailing over the innumerable amount of lacerations, some still releasing rivulets of blood, on his formerly flawless skin. 

Miyako then proceeded to faint. Daisuke caught her breathlessly, eyes wide. The Kaiser simply laughed at their horror. Hikari was the first to step forward, only barely masking the conflicting emotions in her eyes. 

"Ken…? What's happened to you…? Why are you doing this?" 

"You seem upset…" The Kaiser smirked. "Don't you like what I've done with the place? I needed a pet for a proper housewarming…" 

"Oniichan…" Takeru whispered in disbelief, hands trembling. "Ken… Just what is going on here?" 

"You should know more than anyone, Takeru…" The Kaiser remarked, smirk never failing him. "You saw how I was mistreated… How your brother HUMILIATED me, how he broke my heart!!" The smile finally faded as fury overtook his form. "Said he wasn't like that… Said I looked like a girl.. Said he didn't love me!" He roughly shoved the boy off his lap, kicking the pet as he fell. A hand grasped the whip at his side, growling in a beastly manner as he cracked the whip across his Pet's back, adding a new bleeding trail amongst the myriad of others. 

"Tell me how much you love this, Pet!" He growled, punctuating his sentence with another pair of slashes of his whip. The pet dropped down to all fours, spitting out the blood that had welled in his mouth from the string of beatings. 

"L.. love this… Master…" He sputtered weakly, voice breaking from the force of the whip still bearing down on his back. "M.. more than life it.. itself…" 

"STOP THIS!!!" Daisuke screeched in disgust at the display. He shifted Miyako in his arms, glaring at the Kaiser. "Ken… Near as I can figure… You're doing this because TK's brother hurt you… And you didn't know how to deal with it. So you ran. Like you ALWAYS do when something bad happens. You run away to the Digiworld where you can play God and pretend you're not the scared little boy you really are." He growled, setting Miyako down gently, stepping toward his best friend angrily. "You said these days were over for you… Said you were through treating life like a game… But here you are AGAIN.. When the going gets tough, you get going here… Playing with others' lives, thoughts, emotions.. All because you can't bear to deal with things as they really are. You ran when your brother died…" 

"Shut up…" Ken growled in warning. 

"You ran when I hurt you in that soccer game, and you had to face the fact that you weren't so perfect after all…" 

"SHUT UP…" 

"You ran when Yamato told you he didn't feel the same way, that he didn't love you…" 

"I MADE HIM LOVE ME!!!" Ken shrieked angrily. Again, he brought his whip down on the blonde's back. "TELL THEM YOU LOVE ME!!!" 

"I love… my Master…" The pet grimaced, speaking softly. 

"That's not real love…" Takeru chimed in, watching the Kaiser all but torture his unfortunate brother. "That's not real affection.. Just because you made him believe he wants something doesn't make it right…." He took a halting step forward. "Voluntary love is different… Like how I feel about y--" 

"Oh, don't you dare, Takaishi…" The Kaiser growled. "You are NOT going to turn this around… If you think this is all going to wrap up nicely, in a way that'll get everyone living happily ever after… You're wrong.. I'm NOT giving my pet up for ANYTHING.." He glared outwardly. "STINGMON!!! Kill them!" 

"…Excuse me?!" The Insect Digimon's repeated incredulously. "Master.. I know you can't possibly mean that…" 

"I ALWAYS mean what I say!!!" He fumed, raising his whip and preparing to bring it back down upon his pet. Stingmon shook his head, grasping the whip in midair. 

"Ken-chan… You're not yourself… And, I can't let you keep doing things you'll regret later." 

"You're treading on dangerous ground, Stingmon…" The Kaiser warned, growling. The Digimon responded by frowning. 

"Last time you were like this, it took me dying to snap you out of this crazy mindset…" Stingmon tossed Ken's whip aside, a no-nonsense tone in his voice. "But this time, you've made it clear you don't care what happens to me, or yourself. As long as you can keep your toy. You're acting like a baby, Ken. And, I'm not going to stand for it." He silently raised his arm, firing. 

"I'll see you in Primary Village, Ken-chan..." 

The group of Digidestined gasped, eyes wide as the Kaiser shrieked in complete and utter agony, Stingmon's attack striking him down. He was enveloped in a bright light, and seemed to dissolve, sparks of data flying away and dissipating further. 

"No… Master!" Yamato had gasped, still not rising from his kneel. As Ken's final specks of data vanished, next went his collar, dissolving into nothingness. The blonde groaned, proceeding to collapse. Takeru kneeled down beside his brother, only barely suppressing a sob. This was all happening too fast, made too little sense. 

"Stingmon…" He managed as he finally found his voice. "Why??" 

"It was the only way." He explained simply. "Now that he's been deleted, he can be reconfigured. And then, I'll have my Ken-chan back." He smiled as he, too began to disintegrate. 

"But…" Takeru's eyes were wide. "Humans aren't like that… We don't come back…" 

"You'll see." Stingmon stated happily, right before he vanished completely. "You'll see." 

The Digidestined exchanged glances, none of them knowing just what to make out if it all. The silence was positively deafening. 

  
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"JYOU!! Isn't there a more, I don't know.. GENTLE way to go about this?!" 

The blue-headed junior doctor smirked, carefully rubbing more disinfectant into another one of the multitudes of open wounds on Yamato's back. The topless blonde winced, struggled, and strained to get free, mouth flapping incessantly about the pain. 

"Jyouuuuuu!!!!!! It HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

"Quit whining, Prettyboy… You're hurt badly, and we need to fix you up the right way… Can't have you getting infected and hurt worse." 

"Ken made it in the paper…" Miyako noted from her spot reclining on the Ishida couch, and paused as she read the full article. "They found him in his room… In front of his computer. Completely comatose, like his brain just… Stopped working or something. He's in the hospital now… They don't know if he'll ever wake up." 

"So… That's what happens if one of us is kill.. Erm.. Passes away in the Digiworld…" Hikari breathed softly. 

"Stingmon seemed pretty confident Ken would be reborn…" Takeru sighed. 

"He doesn't understand that people just don't come back.." Iori frowned. 

"But… There's still a possibility…" Takeru continued hopefully. "We don't know for sure…" 

"No." All eyes shifted to Yamato as he spoke, bearing a stony expression as he stared down at his arm. An arm that was once perfectly complexioned, now marred with long, crisscrossing scars. He stopped speaking for a long moment, as though mourning the loss in his appearance, the thing that had mattered most to him. "He's gone. And, he's going to stay that way… If I have to be the one to get rid of him again, and again…" Those blue eyes were haunted, darkened from the experience. 

Silence overtook the group once again, as Jyou began the lengthy process of bandaging open wounds. 

   [1]: mailto:lain@rmi.net



End file.
